DoD News

News Article

USO Gala Spotlights Service Members, Military Supporters

By Amaani LyleAmerican Forces Press Service

ARLINGTON, Va., March 15, 2013  Service members, public figures and performers were honored for their service or support of the U.S. military at the USO of Metropolitan Washington’s 31st Annual Awards Dinner held at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel here yesterday.

Professional wrestler Mick Foley speaks with Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr. and his wife, Mary, at the USO of Metro Washington's 31st Annual Awards Dinner at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Va., March 14, 2013. Foley attended the event with fellow wrestler Sheamus and Divas Natalya and Rosa Mendes and World Wrestling Entertainment Executive Vice President, Creative, Stephanie McMahon. Other special guests include actors, singers, veterans and military members. DOD photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Chuck Marsh(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

In his remarks at the event, Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, lauded the compassion and commitment of people serving in the military medical community.

“We are here to honor a most deserving population of unsung heroes among our troopers … our medical professionals,” Winnefeld said. “They are the quiet heroes: the doctors, the nurses, the medical support staff, who treat everything from the common cold in a U.S. military pediatric ward to the most critical battlefield injuries across the combat zone.”

The admiral said he and his wife, Mary, have witnessed medical professionals in action around the world -- from Kandahar and Bagram in Afghanistan, to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

“In every visit, in every room, we meet warriors who are hopeful about the future,” Winnefeld said. “Each of these wounded warriors recognizes the difficult road to recovery that’s ahead.”

Service members receive the best possible care from the military’s medical professionals, the admiral said.

“Because of that spectrum of care, and the unique blend of military professionalism and medical acumen, we’re bringing warriors home from the battlefield today that never would’ve made it in previous wars,” Winnefeld said.

“It’s all because of our outstanding military medical professionals and the caregivers for our wounded warriors,” he said of the people and teams who provide care to some 9 million beneficiaries of the military health system.

Honorees at the event dinner included actor and director Lou Diamond Phillips, a stalwart USO supporter who received the organization’s Legacy of Achievement Award for his years of public support and involvement with the military community.

Born at the Subic Bay U.S. Naval Station in the Philippines, Phillips said his upbringing and current work on the Military Channel’s “An Officer and a Movie” have strengthened his bond with the military.

While “incredibly humbled” by the USO honor, Phillips said he finds his fame can best “highlight and uphold the real heroes,” the military members who wear the uniform.

Phillips noted the complexities and challenges that military members of an all-volunteer force face in a post-9/11 world.

“It’s very much a part of our national consciousness that we are at war and have been … for a long time, that we have young men and women in harm’s way on a daily basis,” Phillips said.

As such, America is entering a new age of respect for its armed forces, he said, and a greater awareness of how military people touch so many lives.

Fellow actor, director, and honoree Joe Mantegna echoed Phillips’ comments, noting he has great respect for those who serve in the U.S. military.

Mantegna, who’s slated to perform his 12th annual Memorial Day concert with his friend and fellow USO supporter Gary Sinise, shared why he, too, was humbled by the USO’s recognition.

“It’s the people who do this job day-in and day-out, the volunteers, the people who … keep organizations like the USO thriving … those are the people that really deserve credit,” Mantegna said. “I remember you, and I accept this on your behalf.”

This year’s USO honorees include:

-- Army Maj. David Larres, Occupational Therapy Clinic at Irwin Army Community Hospital, Fort Riley, Kan.;

Tony Award-winning entertainer John Lloyd Young serenades the audience at the USO of Metropolitan Washington's 31st Annual Awards Dinner at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Va., March 14, 2013. Young sang a selection of songs from the 1960s to the audience of military members, veterans, entertainers, and military supporters. DOD photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Chuck MarshDownload screen-resolutionDownload high-resolution

Actor and director Lou Diamond Phillips addresses the audience at the USO of Metropolitan Washington's 31st Annual Awards Dinner at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Va., March 14, 2013. Thousands of USO supporters gathered to recognize military members, family members and USO supporters. The event included Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr. and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace. DOD photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Chuck MarshDownload screen-resolutionDownload high-resolution

Actor, director and producer Joe Mantegna addresses the audience at the USO of Metropolitan Washington's 31st Annual Awards Dinner at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Va., March 14, 2013. Mantegna earned the USO’s Merit Award for his long-time support for military members and for his work with charities. The event drew senior military leaders to include Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff retired Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace. DOD photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Chuck MarshDownload screen-resolutionDownload high-resolution

Kathleen Causey, recipient of the USO’s Col. John Gioia Patriot Award, with husband, Army Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Causey, on stage behind her, points to the table where the pair's parents are sitting. Causey lost both of his legs above the knee and sustained multiple injuries to his hands and arms in 2011. DOD photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Chuck MarshDownload screen-resolutionDownload high-resolution

Daniel Rodriguez sings the invocation to the USO of Metropolitan Washington's 31st Annual Awards Dinner at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Va., March 14, 2013. The event recognized military members, a military spouse, and military supporters. DOD photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Chuck MarshDownload screen-resolutionDownload high-resolution

World Wrestling Entertainment Executive Vice President, Creative, Stephanie McMahon addresses the audience at the USO of Metropolitan Washington's 31st Annual Awards Dinner at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Va., March 14, 2013. The event included Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., as well as a host of entertainers, to include actors Lou Diamond Phillips and Joe Mantegna. DOD photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Chuck MarshDownload screen-resolutionDownload high-resolution